Keep Tabs on Your Dysfunctional Family via iPhone
Paranoia and distrust among family members is sure to escalate, thanks to a new iPhone and iPod touch app that promises to let you keep tabs on your loved ones.
LogSat Software, the App Store developers responsible for the popular Sex Offenders Search app, are back -- and this time, with a potentially even more controversial app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Family Tracker allows you to track your husband, wife, children or even fianceé, all from the comfort of your handheld device. Paranoia, distrust and suspicion? Yep, there’s finally an app for that.
Shockingly, Family Tracker is described in this straightforward, manner-of-fact way on the App Store: “Your husband tells you he’s going to be late tonight due to a business meeting. Is he really at the office, or is he having dinner somewhere else? Your wife told you she is going out shopping with her girlfriends at the mall. Is she really there or is she with her gym teacher? Your kids tell you that they are staying late with friends to study for their test. Are they really there, or did they go out partying?
“No more lies or excuses!” the app description promises. “You can now find out where they are, at anytime, as long as they have their iPhones with them.”
Worse yet, the app developers seem to think this all comes down to a matter of convenience: “With our busy lives, sometimes we don’t have time to answer the phone and/or write an SMS text to our spouse/parents,” developer Roberto Franceschetti states in a press release for the app. “With Family Tracker, we can let them know we are ‘OK’ by just turning on the iPhone screen.”
The app is apparently already off to a bang with like-minded controlling parents, too. One review already in the App Store was written by a father named “TheiPhoneJunkie” who proclaims, “I just forced my [teenaged] son to install this on his iPhone. If he deletes it he’ll be grounded and will loose [sic] his iPhone privileges… I want to see now how he’s going to find an excuse when we catch him in a lie!”
Family Tracker is now available on the App Store for $4.99, compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch and requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later. Family dysfunction is optional, but highly recommended.
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chiaspod
January 26, 2010 at 4:37pm
But ... the iPhone doesn't support multitasking. Can't you just ignore the app entirely and move on with your life?
ik8sqi
January 25, 2010 at 10:32pm
As the app description states, Family Tracker can be used by both categories of people. The "untrusty" category can use it to keep tabs on their significant other or on their "wild" children. One of our testers has a teen that has (had...) a habit of coming back at 4-5AM without letting their parents (our testers...) know where he was. Things in that family are now much better!.The "convenience" category can use it just like that, as a convenience. One of our beta testers for example has a habit of showing up late at all our social dinners. We use Family Tracker with him to have an idea of when is the time to place the dishes in the oven now, since when he tells us "he's on the road" we can actually see he's still home :-) Another couple (husband and wife - married for 15 years) were using it simply to replace their SMS app, as they can both communicate and see where they are with Family Tracker. It's not a matter of trust, but as we mentioned, convenience in this case.Going back to the question, yes, Family Tracker would allow your parents (users without an iPhone) to track your phone via the web - another iPhone is not necessary.Family Tracker development team.
lukeforester1
January 25, 2010 at 12:26pm
Could I check it out from a computer? or must I also have an iPhone to see where the other iPhone/iTouch is? BTW I'm a kid, not some freaky stalker parent like that dad
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